The leaders of the different vendors’ associations in Bacolod City apologized to the people and city officials for going beyond the space provided them in sidewalks to sell their goods during the holiday season, causing traffic problems and inconvenience to the public.

Corazon Tabaquerao, Luggar Vendors Brotherhood Association president, said they are apologizing to the public if they have occupied the sidewalks during the holiday because it is the only occasion where they could earn well, to be able to provide food for their families for the Christmas season.

After the holidays, they returned to the one-meter space provided them by the city, she said.

Bacolod Downtown Vendors Association president, Victoria Amolato, said they also apologized to the city officials and the public. They don’t want to violate the law but they had to take advantage of the good weather so they could dispose all of their stocks, she added.

Amolato said they, together with other vendors who are not from Bacolod, have extended their stalls from the sidewalk up to three meters.

They started Dec. 23, while the vendors, who are not from Bacolod, started on Dec. 27, she said.

Danilo Camacho, former president of the Amelia Mercedes Vendors Association (AMVA), said they had no intention of extending to the sidewalk. But since there was a typhoon and their goods only arrived on Dec. 30, they had to dispose of them right away.

Rommel Real, AMVA president, assured this will not happen again.

Marleta Ongada, president of the Luzuriaga Bonifacio Fish Vendors Association, said they also apologize to Mayor Evelio Leonardia for the inconvenience they had caused. However, they thank him for giving them a chance to sell their wares.

Executive assistant Ernie Pineda, head of the market coordinating and monitoring task force, said they will regulate the sidewalk vendors next holiday season.

Pineda said they will conduct a series of meetings to determine who can be allowed to sell.

He noted, however, that after January 1, the downtown area had been cleared of illegal structures and that IPM-CDC collected garbage early in the day, he said.

Pineda said they will require the vendors to secure special permits so they could determine how many will sell their goods.

The Sangguniang Panlungsod should also come up with a resolution specifying the areas that vendors could occupy, Pineda added.*